Downtown performing-arts center still a needed project

April 26, 2011

After Friday's dustup over the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, in which Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and DPAC's closest supporters tussled over her decision not to speed more county money to help build the center, it's best for all concerned to take a deep breath.

Appreciate what's at stake.

And then commit to working together again to see that the arts center gets built.

Metro Orlando needs a new performing-arts center to better attract traveling shows that find venues in other cities more appealing; to give our region's excellent orchestra, ballet and theater groups stages befitting them; and to help make the region a more powerful economic draw. Without DPAC, Orlando's aging Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre increasingly looks like something Andy Hardy hammered together to "put on a show."

No wonder, then, that the city and Orange County agreed in 2007 to build the arts center; that it attracted widespread public support and donors; and that this editorial board strongly backed it.

Of course, the public also wanted to see the project, as with any project using public money, built right. As did Jacobs. After she won election as mayor, she was approached by DPAC and the city of Orlando to see if she could speed more tourist tax dollars to the project to make up for funding lost to the recession.

Before releasing the money, she chose to see whether those representing the center were exacting all the reasonable savings they could from it.

We applauded her for doing so as the county uncovered some questionable expenses. We also applauded a restructuring Jacobs sought: DPAC would concentrate on fundraising and operating the center, while a new committee would oversee construction.

But saying she still wasn't satisfied with the speed and commitment with which DPAC and Orlando were addressing construction and operations issues, Jacobs announced her decision not to speed more county money to the project. She then thought it important to stress that "this is a city project and not a county project."

We strongly disagree. It's a regional project, one the county, including then-Commissioner Jacobs, agreed in 2007 to support.

Jacobs warned Friday of operating deficits. She said DPAC was dragging its feet in addressing them. But DPAC provided an operations plan that same day that some connected to the new oversight committee said showed considerable progress.

Said one: "Jacobs has added value to the center by asking questions, but let's work the process through."

We agree. The committee, DPAC and Mayor Buddy Dyer should continue to search for savings in the center's construction and operations budget. But Jacobs owes it to the region to let them try.

It's too soon to judge whether she should speed more tourist dollars to the center. But we're skeptical that the $8 million the project's backers want advanced by the county would cripple its tourist-tax funded marketing efforts. Indeed, a new performing-arts center in Orlando would draw thousands of visitors to the area each year.

Jacobs was right to take her concerns about the arts center public. Right to encourage it to be built and eventually operated as efficiently as possible. But her precipitous move to deny the project more county money before the center's supporters could continue to make improvements to its plans could imperil the project. The state might withdraw a $15 million grant. Construction bids for the project could expire, and costs rise. Donations could wither.

As leader of the region's largest government, Jacobs needs to get back to helping one of the region's most prized projects, not wash her hands of it.